THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
Planting the right plants can help pollinators
Pollinators and plants have been having a love affair for more than 100 million years. Throughout that period, plants have developed unique ways to entice ...
Dr. Cynthia Wood, Author at Farmville - Page 4 of 8
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
Nature provides its own valentines
According to the calendar, it’s the shortest month, but, in reality, it never seems to end. February is fickle. It can be cold, wet and ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, February 12, 2021 6:00 am
Columns
COLUMN — A walk in the woods
This time of the year, when the forest is a study in brown, beige and gray with a few green accents, I like to walk ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, January 8, 2021 6:00 am
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
What’s new in the garden for 2021
I’ve looked into my crystal ball in search of clues about what 2021 will portend for gardeners, and what I see looks remarkably similar to ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, January 1, 2021 6:00 am
FARMVILLE THE MAGAZINE
From the Ground Up — Welcome the season with a wreath
Story by Dr. Cynthia Wood We’ve been using wreaths to decorate doors for many years. Victorians loved traditional combinations of holly, ivy and yew, plus ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, December 24, 2020 6:00 am
FOOD AND FITNESS
Fruitcake: The treat that everyone loves to hate
In my family, celebrations always involve baking, and Christmas is no different. My grandma made fresh coconut cake and served it with a red colored, ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, December 24, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
It’s never too late for a walk in the woods
It’s the first week in December, and the weather is still pleasantly warm. Even so, I’m surprised at the number of plants that are blooming, ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, December 11, 2020 6:00 am
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
Project to extend the gardening season was a success
Late last winter, I accepted a challenge to infuse more native plants into my existing garden while also extending the growing season. All through February ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, November 6, 2020 6:00 am
FARMVILLE THE MAGAZINE
Spiced pickled peaches – A Sunday dinner tradition
This difficult year has made many of us nostalgic for times past — family gatherings under the pecan trees, Sunday lunches at grandma’s house, and ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Sunday, October 18, 2020 6:00 am
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
It’s the perfect time to find gentians
Fall means yellow flowers — goldenrods by the dozen, sunflowers, sneezeweed, and many, many more — but not all fall wildflowers are yellow. There are ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, October 9, 2020 6:00 am
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
Gardening with dogs
Hello, fellow gardeners. My name is Anca vom Dreifke Wood. I’m my mom’s new garden helper. I can’t pick locks and open gates like my ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, October 2, 2020 6:00 am
Farmville the Magazine
From the Ground Up — Showtime in the garden how to get ready for PBS
What do you do when find out that your garden is going to be on the PBS program “Virginia Home Grown” and that filming won’t ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, September 17, 2020 3:40 pm
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
COLUMN — Possessed with a pickling passion
Every summer when I was a kid, my mother and grandmother would become obsessed with the need to can, pickle, and preserve everything in sight. ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, September 11, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
A cool find on a hot day
Last summer I spent far too many hot, humid days mucking about in several swampy areas at Holliday Lake State Park. I wandered around one ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Sunday, September 6, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
Goldenrod provides late summer color
Several years ago, I went with a friend to a business luncheon where there was a beautiful floral arrangement with bright yellow flowers in it. ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, August 7, 2020 6:00 am
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
Gardens continually evolve
Gardens never really stay the same. Years ago, my grandmother, and many of her contemporaries in rural Virginia, planted forsythia, japonica, roses, lilacs, peonies, daffodils ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, July 10, 2020 6:00 am
Columns
Growing picture perfect pitcher plants
Sometimes a gardener just needs a change of pace, something like a wild child plant that looks as if it came from another planet. If ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, June 19, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
Uschi goes on a trail walk at High Bridge
Hello, fellow wildflower lovers. It’s me Uschi. Several months ago, I went with my mom on a trail walk, met a woman named Uschi, and ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, June 12, 2020 1:55 pm
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
Stalking the hoary yellow puccoon
Sometimes a plant just shows up in an unexpected location. Sometimes you walk by that location over and over, but not at exactly the right ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, May 8, 2020 6:00 am
Columns
The challenge of adding fall color to the garden
As most of you who have seen my garden know, it’s all about spring and early summer. There are masses of hellebores that begin to ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, May 1, 2020 6:00 am
Farmville the Magazine
From the Ground Up: Tulips abound
THERE’S ONE FOR EVERY GARDEN Gardeners have been rhapsodizing about tulips for hundreds of years. They were first cultivated in 10th century Persia and somewhat ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, April 18, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
Incised fumewort is problematic
I went to Powhatan State Park last week, walked the usual trails and searched for Dutchman’s breeches, which I didn’t find. When I got home, ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, April 10, 2020 6:00 am
THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
Gardening from a dog’s viewpoint
Hello, fellow gardeners. It’s me, Uschi again. While my mom is busy moaning about the general state of affairs – plants arriving and no one ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, April 3, 2020 6:00 am
Farmville the Magazine
From the Ground Up: There’s always a place for hellebores
Like Lady Jean Skipwith at Prestwould Plantation near Clarksville, I’ll always have a place in my garden for hellebores. Thank goodness I don’t have to ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Monday, March 16, 2020 6:00 am
Lifestyles
Gardening trends for 2020
Like just about everything else, gardening is influenced by trends. For nearly 10 years, our obsession with native plants has increased. Some gardeners have been ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, March 13, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
Speedwell, a beautiful weed
Hiking in late winter or very early spring requires an open mind about the plants that can be found. Sure, there are always Christmas ferns, ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, March 7, 2020 6:00 am
MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN
Hiking can be a voyage of discovery
Spending time outside, whether gardening or hiking, is just plain good for you. Hiking and walking have been called moving meditations because they enable people ...